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Edward cut a bite of steak

"If you eat that right noill throw up on you"

He smiled, but he put down his silverware He looked at me His expression was neutral, as it was most of the time I couldn&039;t tell if he&039;d enjoyed the filusted by it "Now you can ask me questions," he said His voice was like it alas, pleasant, unaffected by external sti?"

"A client"

"Why give it to you?"

"The wohter"

"Oh, God, please, tell me he didn&039;t watch this"

"You know he saw it You knoatched it to the end or why hire hter&039;s lovers"

"He hired you to kill the two men?"

Edward nodded

"Why did you show this to me?"

"Because I knew you&039;d help me"

"I&039;m not an assassin, Edward"

"Just help ht if I drink some wine?"

I nodded

He sipped his wine The dark liquid rolled around the glass, looking a lot redder than it had before the movie I sed hard and looked away I would not throw up I would not throw up

"Where can I find Alfred?"

"Nowhere," I said

He set his wineglass carefully on the tray "Anita, you disappointwhat they did to the girl"

"I&039;s I&039;ve ever seen, and I&039;ve seen a hell of a lot You&039;re too late to find Alfred"

"How too late?"

"I killed hiht"

A smile spread across his face, beautiful to behold "You always make my job easier"

"Not on purpose"

He shrugged "Do you want half the fee? You did do half the work"

I shook my head "I didn&039;t do it for money"

"Tell me what happened"

"No"

"Why not?"

I looked at hiive someone to you by accident"

"The wereleopard deserves to die, Anita"

"I&039;h, technically, he didn&039;t kill the girl"

"The father wants theuess I don&039;t"

"Then you&039;ll help me identify the other man?"

"Maybe" I stood up "I need to call soht be able to help you more than I could"

"Who?"

I shook my head "Let ave a long nod, almost a boith just his neck "As you like"

I dialed Richard&039;s nuot his machine "This is Anita, pick up if you&039;re there Richard, pick up This is important" No one picked up the phone

"Damn," I said

"Not home?" Edward asked

"Do you have the number for the Lunatic Cafe?"

"Yes"

"Give it to me"

He repeated the number slowly, and I dialed it A woman picked up the phone It wasn&039;t Raina I was thankful for that "Lunatic Cafe, Polly here, how may I help you"

"I need to speak with Richard"

"I&039;m sorry we don&039;t have any waiters by that nauest of Marcus&039;s last night I need to speak with Richard It&039;s an eency"

"I don&039;t know I mean, like, they&039;re all busy in the back rooet Richard on the phone now"

"Marcus doesn&039;t like to be disturbed"

"Polly, is it? I have been on my feet for over thirteen hours If you do not put Richard on the phone right now, I a to co myself clear?"

"Who is this?" She sounded a little miffed, and not in the least afraid

"Anita Blake"

"Oh," she said "I&039;ll get Richard for you, right away, Anita, right away" There was an edge of panic to her voice that hadn&039;t been there before She put me on hold Someone with a sick sense of huht and Roses," "Blue Moon," "Moonlight Sonata" Every song was a h "Moon over Miami" when the phone clicked back to life

"Anita, it&039;s ht, but I&039;ve got so you need to see"

"Can you tell me what it is?"

"I know this sounds corny, but not over the phone"

"You sure you&039;re not just looking for an excuse to seein his voice

It had been too long a night "Can you ? Your voice sounds awful"

"I need a hug and to erase the last hour of et here, the second I&039;ll just have to live with"

"Are you ho ive hiave Richard the hotel room, and directions "I&039;ll be there as soon as I can" He hesitated, then said, "What did you say to Polly? She&039;s nearly hysterical"

"She wouldn&039;t put you on the phone"

"You threatened her," he said

"Yeah"

"Was it an idle threat?"

"Pretty much"

"Dominant pack members don&039;t make idle threats to subordinates"

"I&039;ht you&039;re a doue dominant lycanthrope"

"What does thatto bust someone&039;s ass, they believe you"

"Oh, sorry"

"Don&039;t apologize to et her calmed down"

"Don&039;t put her on, Richard"

"That&039;s what you get for being trigger happy People get scared of you"

"Richard" A sobbing female voice ca a crying olf that I wasn&039;t going to hurt her My life was getting too strange, even for me